On a quiet island beach beneath the Caribbean sun
Two lovers on vacation, precious time, that is hard won
And what men trace their footprints in the fine-grained ocean sand
They drew a cloak of violence over sweet vacation plans
Now the house is empty, the phone will ring again
The city mourns and walks the streets where gentle hands had been
Where do they learn it's manly to shoulder guns to fight
To prove their strength and power by cutting down a life
Some move inspiration where the hero always wins
A plastic toy all gift-wrapped and the violence begins
On an Appalachian trail where pine trees filter out the light
Two women hike all day and pitch their tent at night
The man had crossed their path, fascinated by the pair
To see them lovers and at peace, just more than he could bear
So sure he had a right, he raised the rifle high
One woman crawled away and the other lost her life
Where do they learn it's manly to shoulder guns to fight
To prove their strength and power by cutting down a life
Some move inspiration where the hero always wins
A plastic toy all gift-wrapped and the violence begins
Last day before exams and the classrooms all are full
Joyous Nouvelle-Anne hanging gaily on the wall
And one man dressed in blue jeans with a rifle in his hands
Ammunition strapped across his chest in Rambo-style bands
So sure he had a right, he raised the rifle high
And soon the halls were bloody where fourteen women died
Now do you think it's nature, just a quirk in one man's brain
An isolated case that will not raise its head again
When it was lynchings in the South, well we call it by its name
Racist violence claiming victims and a culture clearly blamed
In the papers we are missing, too often never found
The numbers they just multiply and fear it circles round
We are women of strong hearts, we fight to hold our rightful place
We call these wrongs a system with a structure you can trace
In the history that they teach us and the laws they will not pass
In the laughter and derision when we raise our voice at last
In the courts and in the streets we'll raise the voices high
And each death he'll be mourned, exposing every lie
Where do they learn it's manly to shoulder guns to fight
To prove their strength and power by cutting down a life
Some movie inspiration where the hero always wins
A plastic toy all gift-wrapped and the violence begins
On a quiet island beach beneath a Caribbean sun
On an Appalachian trail where pine trees filter out the light
Last day before exams and the classrooms all are full
In the courts and in the streets we'll raise the voices high
Raise the voices high
Raise the voices high